The present invention relates to tactile sensor arrays, and, more particularly, to methods and apparatus for dynamically varying the resolution of a piezoresistive or variable capacitance tactile sensor array.
Although tactile sensor arrays are known in the art, methods and apparatus for dynamically varying the resolution of such arrays are not yet available. Applications requiring varying levels of resolution at different stages of the application necessitate using a sensor array capable of producing the highest resolution that may be required for that application. In this case, at certain times, the high resolution array may produce far more data than are required, resulting in unnecessary data sampling and longer processing times. Sampling techniques which sample only selected pixels of an array to reduce data may be undesirable because they leave portions of the array "uncovered," by not using data from selected pixels.
Alternatively, sensing arrays of different resolution may be used at various stages of an application. However, changing the sensor array during an application may be impossible, or at least cumbersome and inefficient. This alternative also involves the expense of maintaining two or more sets of arrays. There also is a risk that sensor arrays may be damaged by repeated installation and removal, for example, while installing the array on the end effector of a robot arm.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide methods and apparatus for varying the resolution of a single tactile sensing array, so that the array need not be replaced when varying levels of resolution are required. It also would be desirable to provide methods and apparatus which permit the number of pixels of information output from the sensing array to be dynamically varied for a given application of the array, so that information can be processed at speeds commensurate with the resolution required for the desired application.